Piano fall-board



PIANO FALL-BOARD Filed Dec. l0, 1937 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 Unirse eranoFALL-nonnen f Y. j?

Wilbur M. Bay, Ginoinnati, illhio, assigner to The Baldwin Company,Cincinnati, Ohio Application December lil, i937, Serial No. 179,163

(Cl. Sii-179) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a piano fall-board adaptable for use inupright pianos and particun larly in uprights known as flat-tops, inwhich the action is below the keyboard level to some extent. One of theobjects of the invention is to provide a fall-board mechanism that issimple of construction, in that the key covering portion consists of asingle unit.

Another object is to provide a fall-board that may be more easily movedto cover or uncover the keys of the piano than fall-boards of the usualtypes, and that will be quiet in its operations.

A further object is to provide a key cover, which when in a closedposition, presents an unbroken flat surface.

Still another object is to provide an economy of construction in that itrequires no visible, nnished hardware parts, and in that it may beeasily installed in the piano,

With these objects in mind and any other objects which may occur tothose skilled in the art reading these specications, I now proceed to aspecic description of the invention, reference being made to theaccompanying; drawing wherein:

Figure l is a sectional, fragmentary side View oi a piano, taken justinside of the right-hand arm and with the right-hand key block removed,including a fall-board constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, showing the fallboard in a' closed position over the operableportions o the keys;

Figure 2 shows the fall-board in its open position, exposing theoperable portions of the keys for use; and

Figure 3 is a plan View of one end of a keybed adapted for convenientuse with the present ine vention.

The fall-board assembly comprises a main horizontal member l above themanually operable part of the keyboard K, this member being providedwith a iront lip 2, and a back ll-in strip 3, together with a swingingequalizer rod il, the ends of which are pivoted on bearing blocks 5attached to the keybed 6.

In conjunction with the fall-board assembly are shown the shelf l, theshelf drop 8, the fallboard handles or knobs 9, the keyslip lil, the keyblock il, and a strip I2 immediately back of the Sharps or black keys ofthe keyboard, which strip is commonly known as the key strip. It will beunderstood, of course, that there is a key block I l at each end of thekeyboard.

The operation of the fall-board from its closed position as shown inFigure 1 to the open position shown in Figure 2 so as to expose thekeys, comprises raising the front of the board by means of the knobs 9and pushing the board rearwardly, the ends of the lower surface of thefront lip 2 sliding on the upper surfaces oi the key blocks. 5 il. Theequalizer rod "i, the longitudinal portion oi which runs along the backedge of the horizontal member i, being attached to same by hushedbearing clips i3, causes both ends of the fail-board to recede withequal movement at the 10 same time, preventing jamming in the process ofuncovering the keys. The turned down ends or the equalizer rods arepivoted on the bearing plates 5, placed as shown so that the back of thefall-board rises as it recedes, so as to clear the .15 near-by parts ofthe piano action Ill and at the ends of its motion to leave the irontlip 2 in a vertical position for pleasing appearance. The reverse of theabove operation is employed in closing the board.

The extreme forward and backward positions oi the alleboard aredetermined by the stop blocks l5 and I5. It will be noted that the lowersurface of the shelf drop 8 is inclined upwardly and rearwardly, andcorresponding to this the upper surface or the back strip 3 is likewiseinclined upwardly and rearwardly. This effects a neat closure whilepreventing the two members, il and 8, from fouling each other in themovement of the board. 30

It will thus be evident to those skilled in the art that a fall-boardconstructed according to this invention is readily applicable tofiat-top pianos.

In order to attach the fall-board mechanism conveniently in theproduction of pianos, the rear part of each end of the keybed 6 has beencut away as at il, and each plate 5 is of L-shaped body, one part ofwhich rests on the bed G to be held thereto by a vertical wood-screw ii.The other, or vertical part of the L is adjacent the bed in the space iland supports a horizontal cylindrical pivot. It will thus be seen thatthe fall-board mechanism may be attached to the piano conveniently fromabove.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In combination in a musical instrument, a horizontal keyboard,stationary pivoting means located considerably below the level of saidkeyboard and considerably behind the front playable portion thereof, afall-board comprising essentially a rigid member of sufficient extent tocover said keyboard front portion and disposed horizontally over saidportion, pivoting means secured to said fall-board considerably in frontof said rst mentioned pivoting means, and arms pivotally connected tosaid rst mentioned means and extending therefrom to pivotal connectionswith said second mentioned means, whereby said fall-board, in exposingsaid keyboard front portion, describes a rearward and upward translatorymovement.

2. The combiantion as set forth in claim 1, including a board supportedimmediately behind said keyboard front portion and dependent above saidportion, said fall-board including an upright portion in substantiallycoplanar relationship with said dependent board and spaced aparttherefrom, and a strip supported immediately in front of said keyboard,said fall-board including a dependent portion in substantially coplanarrelationship with said strip, whereby front and rear closures arecompleted when said fall-board is in a covering position and permittingsaid fallboard to be moved as set forth.

3. The combination as set forth in claim l, including a strip supportedimmediately in front of said keyboard, said fall-board including adependent portion in substantially coplanar relationship with saidstrip, a board supported immediately behind said keyboard front portionand depending above said portion, said fall-board including an uprightportion in substantially coplanar relationship with said dependent boardand spaced apart slightlyvtherefrom, the lower edge of said dependentboard and the upper edge of said upright portion being inclinedrearwardly and upwardly in corresponding relationship, whereby smoothfront and rear closures are completed when said fall-board is in acovering position and permitting said fall-board to be moved as setforth.

4. In combination in a musical instrument, a horizontal keyboard,stationary pivoting means located beyond each end of said keyboard,considerably below the level thereof and considerably behind the frontplayable portion thereof, a fallboard comprising essentially a rigidmember of sufficient extent to cover said keyboard front portion anddisposed horizontally over said portion, pivoting means secured to saidfall-board considerably in front of said first mentioned pivoting means,and a rectangular U member pivotally connected at its ends to said firstmentioned means and extending therefrom to pivotal connections with saidsecond mentioned means, whereby said fall-board, in exposing saidkeyboard front portion, describes a rearward and upward translatorymovement, in equalized motion.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, including a board supportedimmediately behind said keyboard front portion and dependent above saidportion, said fall-board including an upright yportion in substantiallycoplanar relationship with said dependent board and spaced aparttherefrom, and a strip supported immediately in front of said keyboard,said fall-board including a dependent portion in substantially coplanarrelationship with said strip, whereby front and rear closures arecompleted when said fallboard is in a covering position and permittingsaid fall-board to be moved as set forth.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4, including a strip supportedimmediately in front of said keyboard, said fall-board including adependent portion in substantially coplanar relationship with saidstrip, a board supported immediately behind said keyboard front portionand dependingr above said portion, said fall-board including an uprightportion in substantially coplanar relationship with said dependent boardand spaced apart slightly therefrom, the lower edge of said dependentboard and the upper edge of said upright portion being inclinedrearwardly and upwardly in corresponding relationship, whereby smoothfront and rear closures are completed when said fall-board is in acovering position and permitting said fall-board to be moved as setforth.

7. In combination in a musical instrument, a horizontal keyboard,stationary pivoting means located considerably below the level of saidkeyboard and considerably behind the front playable portion thereof, afall-board of sucient extent to cover said keyboard front portion anddisposed horizontally over said portion, pivoting means secured tofall-board considerably in front of said iirst mentioned pivoting means,and arms pivotally connected to said first mentioned means and extendingtherefrom to pivotal connections with said second mentioned means,whereby said fall-board, in exposing said keyboard front portion,describes a rearward and upward translatory movement, and means limitingthe movement of said fall-board between a forward position covering saidkeyboard front portion and a rearward position exposing said portion.

8. In combination in a musical instrument, a horizontal keyboard,stationary pivoting means located beyond each end of said keyboard,considerably below the level thereof and considerably behind the frontplayable portion thereof, a fallboard of sufficient extent to cover saidkeyboard front portion and disposed horizontally over said portion,pivoting means secured to said fallboard considerably in front of saidfirst mentioned pivoting means, and a rectangular U member pivotallyconnected at its ends to said first mentioned means and extendingtherefrom to pivotal connections with said second mentioned means,whereby said fall-board, in exposing said keyboard front portion,describes a rearward and upward translatory movement, in equalizedmotion, and means limiting the movement of said fall-board between aforward position covering said keyboard front portion and a rearwardposition exposing said portion.

WLBUR M. DAY.

